The M4 Sherman was an American medium tank of World War II. The first prototypes were built in 1941, and mass production was carried out in the period 1942-1945. A total of about 49,000 copies of this tank of all versions were created, making it one of the most produced tanks of World War II and the most important tank in service with the Allied armies during this conflict. The M4 Sherman was equipped with a single-engine version of the M4A1 Continental R 975 C4 with a capacity of 400 hp. The machine was armed - depending on the version - with one 75 mm M3 gun or 76 mm M1 gun or 105 mm M4 howitzer and two 7.62 mm Browning1919A machine guns.
The M4 Sherman was designed as a successor to the M2 and M3 tanks, although it used many components of the latter. Firstly, it used only a slightly modified chassis of the M3 Lee. When designing the M4 Sherman, the emphasis was primarily on fulfilling the role of an infantry support vehicle, and not on fighting enemy tanks - such was the role of American tank destroyers. Only possible clashes with the Pz.Kpfw III and Pz.Kpfw IV were envisaged. The mass production of the new tank and the lowest possible production costs also played a significant role. The result was a tank with good armament for 1942 and early 1943, medium armor, but with a sloping frontal plate, but also with poor maneuverability and - especially in the first versions - very susceptible to fire as a result of hitting the engine compartment. At the same time, however, a tank was created that could be truly serial and had significant modernization potential. During serial production, many experimental versions of the M4 Sherman were created.
